Being able to learn to speak English is a luxury that isn’t available to everyone – so don’t throw your chance away!

Superprof is here to explain how to get the most out of your one to one English tuition.

Learning English as a Second Language on a One to One Basis

Unfortunately, some students see supplemental lessons as punishment enforced by their parents. This is understandable when they already have 6 hours of school every day, which some students struggle with – especially if they find certain classes tricky.

Adding an extra layer to your education is sometimes difficult, but as we said, it’s not an opportunity to be missed.

This is firstly because private lessons can be far more enjoyable for the student than the obligatory classes they must attend in school.

Being taught in a class of 30 or so pupils means that students must be able to work with others as well as take in the information they are being taught. The other disadvantage to the education system is that the teacher’s attention is divided between all of their pupils, which, of course, does not happen with a one to one tutor.

In your private lessons, you will be face to face with your English tutor. You will have their full, undivided attention as they help you learn how to learn, so you can build on your knowledge and improve your English skills.

Even if some students don’t like having extra lessons on top of their formal schooling, it is important that they appreciate the benefits of private tutoring.

Tutors begin by assessing the student’s level, objectives and the content they wish to cover so that they can adapt their teaching to the needs of their student.

This means that students have an opportunity to catch up with any points they have misunderstood in school as well as look ahead in their curriculum so they have a head-start.

Receive tailored tuition with a one to one ESOL tutor ¦ source: Pixabay – annemcdon

Filling in the gaps in your knowledge and learning new things are extremely beneficial.

At Superprof, we understand why some learners feel negatively towards this supplemental education, however, we take pride in watching them start to appreciate the personal and academic advantages of tutoring.

And if you think tutoring would take away from your free time, just think of all the time you will gain in the future.

Focus on Your Difficulties in ESOL Courses with Your English Tutor

To get the most out of your one to one sessions, you have to be mindful about how you plan them.

Your tutor will help you to create your own, personalised learning plan, based on your strengths and weaknesses as well as your goals.

Putting time into creating a detailed learning programme will help your tutor understand and help you overcome your difficulties with English.

It is also helpful to consolidate the strong points in your knowledge with a tutor, as this will help you with your confidence in combating your weaker points.

If the student has clear difficulties with oral expression (which is often the case with those who learn English at school), the tutor will focus on speaking in English to get the learner used to using their second language.

This is why you should make the most of this opportunity to work with an educator who can not only help you develop knowledge of the language but also hone your English conversation and listening skills and writing skills as well as your English pronunciation.

For example, if it’s English grammar that you struggle with, your tutor may ask you to analyse a text and fill in the gaps on worksheets or try some literacy comprehension.

They could also provide quizzes and grammar exercises to help you practice your use of adjectives, nouns and appropriate tenses.

Your command of English is measured by your competence in several disciplines including grammar, spelling, oral fluency, pronunciation and written expression.

Hire an English Tutor for Homework & Exam Preparation Help

There are two main objectives when you begin any esol courses. The first goal is to grasp the concepts you find difficult, and the second is transform this new knowledge into improved grades. You can’t achieve one without achieving the other.

Private tutors actively encourage their students to succeed in reaching these goals.

Over the course of one academic year, you will likely sit several exams including one in English which may test your ability to conjugate irregular verbs, correctly use grammar, or your English reading and writing skills!

We recommend that you take advantage of your English tutor by getting them to help you with exam preparation – revising alone is not as fun, nor is it as effective as working with someone else.

You need to be organised when exam time comes around. It is difficult to find a better revision tool than a personal English tutor who has a perfect knowledge of your subject, your goals and how to use your learning strategies to overcome any obstacles along the way.

The personalised approach of private lessons is what makes them so effective.

Of course, this applies to any major English exams, whether they’re at high school or university. These exams are usually made up of at least two parts: an oral exam and a written exam.

This means that the grade for your work will inform potential employers of your ability to communicate in English – and is therefore incredibly important.

If you still have these important exams ahead of you, it can be helpful to get ahead in your learning with a few private english lessons online or face to face.

Private English tutors are used to being brought in to help students in the run-up to exams, and are therefore accustomed to test preparation and helping students with their exam technique.

This means looking at the course content and goals of each individual and getting them ready for whatever they may be faced with on D-Day.

Practice Speaking English with Your ESOL Tutor

As we have already mentioned, national education systems do not always provide enough opportunities for pupils to practice their English speaking skills.

Oral fluency often takes a back seat to learning the basics of the language, but at what point does speaking practice become more important?

Very rarely during your academic career will you have the opportunity to engage in direct conversation with a native English or bilingual speaker for a sufficient amount of time.

Your tutor, who may be a native speaker themselves, will help you get into the habit of regularly speaking English to improve your fluency.

In the beginning, even if you have a good knowledge of topic-specific vocabulary and complex grammar, speaking will be quite slow. ESOL learners often pause between words and sentences to think about their grammar and pronunciation.

At this point, you won’t be fluent.

However, the good news is that fluency is something you can develop through conversation which allows you to get used to English phonetics and be able to fully express yourself in English.

Conversation is the best way to see yourself make rapid improvements in your spoken English. Talking with other pupils and teachers in English will mean that you use your language to discuss your interests, as well as learn to confidently explore a variety of topics in conversation.

By speaking with a native English speaker in particular, you can work on your accent, learn to identify those of others, learn English slang phrases and how to use idiomatic expressions – these are all things that will help you learn to speak English fluently.

Make progress by getting together to speak English with your friends ¦ source: Pixabay – StockSnap`

Get used to English or Scottish pronunciation, and learn about differences in vocabulary between British English and American English.

After all, being able to understand what others are saying is central to communicating in a language!

Bit by bit, English learners acquire the skills to be able to share their thoughts in a foreign language, even acquiring the relevant language skills to express humour and tell jokes in English.

All of this comes with practice – which you can get with a tutor!

Taking an ‘English MOT’ at the Start of Your ESOL Class

In the context of tutoring an ‘English MOT’ means revisiting the basics of English with your private tutor, and seeing how you perform – even if you consider yourself to be an advanced speaker.

Sometimes, a mediocre performance in English is the result of poorly executed learning strategies (this could be by the teacher or student).

Nevertheless, if there are gaps in a student’s knowledge of the basics, it is difficult to build up an advanced understanding, and students may face obstacles when they come to study English at a higher level.

Superprof therefore recommends that students do all they can to get the most from their private tuition by asking their tutor to help them consolidate their basic knowledge of English.

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